[9] A one-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, he was named by WWE as the greatest titleholder of all time and credited for bringing "a higher level of credibility to the title through his amazing in-ring performances".

Savage worked with his father and brother in Michigan, the Carolinas, Georgia, the Maritimes, and the eastern Tennessee territory run by Nick Gulas.

[6] After a while, his father felt that his sons were not getting the pushes they deserved so he started the "outlaw" International Championship Wrestling (ICW) promotion in the mid-American states.

[11] Eventually, ICW disbanded and Randy and Lanny entered the Memphis scene, joining Jerry Lawler's Continental Wrestling Association (their former competitors).

[16] He made his pay-per-view (PPV) debut for a 16-man tournament at The Wrestling Classic on November 7, defeating Ivan Putski, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and the Dynamite Kid before losing via countout in the finals to Junkyard Dog.

[30] When The Honky Tonk Man declared himself "the greatest Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion of all time", Savage began a feud with him to get the title back, becoming a fan favorite in the process.

In the ensuing beatdown, Miss Elizabeth ran back to the locker room and brought Hulk Hogan out to the ring to save Savage, leading to the formation of "The Mega Powers".

[47] During the February 3 episode of The Main Event II, Savage and Hogan faced the Twin Towers, but Elizabeth accidentally got injured at ringside.

[58] Warrior responded by challenging Savage to a career-ending match at WrestleMania VII on March 24, where the loser of the contest would be forced to retire from professional wrestling.

[3] Despite his retirement from active wrestling, Savage stayed in the WWF in a non-wrestling capacity while The Ultimate Warrior was fired by Vince McMahon after SummerSlam later that year.

[3] Savage wrestled a number of times following WrestleMania VII and the WWF's official story was that out of respect, Warrior generously allowed him to see out the final months of his contract before he was forced to retire.

[60] He also made an initial, untelevised return to the ring on July 30 in Portland, Maine, at a WWF Wrestling Challenge taping when he substituted for The Ultimate Warrior and pinned The Undertaker.

[60] The storyline with Miss Elizabeth continued, culminating with Savage proposing to her in the ring leading to an on-air wedding on August 26 at SummerSlam dubbed The Match Made in Heaven.

On an episode of Prime Time Wrestling prior to SummerSlam, the announcers and several wrestlers threw a "bachelor party" for Savage, with Roberts' arrival deemed unwelcome by the rest of the contingent.

Savage, still unable to compete due to his WrestleMania VII loss to The Ultimate Warrior, immediately began a public campaign to have himself reinstated as an active wrestler to gain revenge on Roberts; however, WWF President Jack Tunney refused.

[64] The feud continued throughout the winter, ending after a match on the February 8, 1992 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event XXX, which Savage won.

Perfect's services - up for offer to either Summerslam main event competitor[69] - turning heel in the process of winning the title and continuing his feud with the dethroned Savage, now the babyface in their rivalry.

On the November 8, 1992 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event XXXI, they took on Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) for the WWF Tag Team Championship.

[85] Savage participated in the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship tournament, defeating The Butcher in the first round and "Stunning" Steve Austin in the quarterfinals.

At Fall Brawl on September 17, Savage, Hogan, Lex Luger and Sting defeated The Dungeon of Doom (Kamala, The Zodiac, The Shark and Meng) in a WarGames match.

[94] Flair claimed that Elizabeth gave him a sizable amount of Savage's money, taken in their divorce settlement, which he used to set up a "VIP section" at Nitro events.

At Uncensored on March 24, Savage and Hogan won a Doomsday Cage match against Flair, Arn Anderson, Meng, The Barbarian, Luger, The Taskmaster, Z-Gangsta and The Ultimate Solution.

[96] At Bash at the Beach on July 7, the New World Order (nWo) was formed when Hulk Hogan turned on Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger and joined "The Outsiders", a tag team of former WWF wrestlers Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

[98] At Halloween Havoc on October 27, Savage finally faced Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, but lost when The Giant interfered and hit him with a chokeslam.

[116] Savage returned in April 1999, debuting a new look and theme music, sporting a slicked-back ponytail, earrings, and a new villainous attitude (though still embracing the fans), as well as introducing his new valet, Gorgeous George.

[123] His second, and final, WCW appearance would be on the May 3, 2000, episode of Thunder, when Savage returned to join The Millionaire's Club – a group consisting of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and other veterans – aiding them at the end of a 41-man battle royal.

[124] On November 7, 2004, Savage returned to professional wrestling at NWA: Total Nonstop Action's (TNA) Victory Road pay-per-view, confronting Jeff Jarrett.

He appeared on a wrestling-themed episode of Baywatch that aired in 1996 with fellow WCW wrestlers Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Big Van Vader, and Kevin Sullivan.

[140] On the morning of May 20, 2011, Savage was driving his Jeep Wrangler near his home in Seminole, Florida, with his wife in the passenger seat when he became unresponsive and crashed into a tree.

[151] In August 2011, Kevin Eck of The Baltimore Sun lauded Savage as an all-round performer, saying that "nobody blended power, speed, agility, and technical skills like the 'Macho Man' in his prime".